A shopping mall Kris Kringle has landed on Santa’s naughty list after cops say a young female “elf” complained that he pinched her butt while they were entertaining kids at the Hanover Mall.

Herbert Jones, a thrice-married Assonet man who plays St. Nick, was perched in his Santa seat Saturday when he allegedly “reached up and pinched” the young woman, who was playing his elf and taking photos of him with the children, according to a police report.

The woman told cops that the 62-year-old, 275-pound mall Santa had said to her in the past: “I wish you were a few years older and I was younger.”

At one point, the woman broke down in tears while recounting the alleged assault to police. She told cops she took a break ?after the faux Claus put his paws on her behind, and reported it to her manager. The manager then told her Jones wanted to see her, police say.

When the reluctant woman approached Jones, he began yelling at her, saying he “would have never done something like that,” according to the report.

The woman quit the elf job on the spot.

The manager told police the woman had been “unhappy all day” after being questioned about some missing money from the booth. The cops then went to talk to Jones, who was in his changing room with his wife. When Jones saw them, he said, “I did not touch that girl,” according to the report.

The cops escorted Jones from the mall and into a cruiser, where he was driven to the police station. Once there, Jones told his version of the story. He said he was sitting on his Santa perch when the woman walked by and brushed against his hand. He said he pulled away in an attempt to avoid contact.

Jones also said the woman had taken his words out of context — he said he wished he was young again so he could do it all differently, the report states.

Police charged Jones with indecent assault and battery on a person over 14. Yesterday, a Hingham District Court judge barred him from the Hanover Mall and from working as Santa this Christmas.

Jessica Heslam joined the Herald in 2000 and was an award-winning reporter who covered some of the region’s biggest news stories before being named columnist in 2011. She writes about media, breaking news, politics and human interest, excelling at getting the tough interviews and giving readers some of Boston's most emotional stories. Follow her on Twitter @JessicaHeslam.